Freeman’s Bargaining Team Approved, and It’s More of the Same

Last night at the SDEA Board of Director’s meeting President Bill Freeman announced his choices for the SDEA bargaining team. Even though the Breakfast Club’s reform slate swept the recent elections, we were shutout from holding a single regular seat on the actual bargaining team. I found this very disappointing since I had campaigned on and requested to be on the bargaining team. The SDEA Board voted and approved the team (with our six caucus members voting no), which indicates how very important the upcoming election is for SDEA Board seats 4 and 5.

I am disappointed that the new team includes two members who negotiated the Tentative Agreement of June 2012. I am involved in SDEA because I couldn’t conceive that we would repeat what I considered to be a total capitulation to the District’s 2012 demands. I volunteered to be on the Bargaining Commission and I am participating in the bargaining listening sessions being conducted at the sites. I was hoping to be able to bring my near retirement veteran perspective to the bargaining table.

Now on the outside, once again, I find myself feeling like the kid staring through the window of the candy store. The only way I believe we can right our union “ship” is to elect more of our Breakfast Club caucus members to the SDEA Board. I thank you for taking your time to read our posts and thank you in advance for taking the extra step in voting and spreading the word. We need all of our caucus members to vote and to contact their colleagues at other sites, encouraging them to vote. “Together We Are Stronger” is SDEA’s motto and it’s never been more apparent to me than right now.